French Polynesia
Bora Bora
Welcome to Bora Bora! This tiny island in the South Pacific is famous for its sparkling turquoise lagoon, coral reef, and the jagged peak of an ancient volcano rising from its center.
Why is it famous?
Its lagoon is one of the most beautiful shades of blue anywhere on Earth, ringed by a protective coral reef.
Houses built right over the water, called overwater bungalows, let visitors step straight from their porch into the sea.
How was it formed?
Bora Bora is what's left of a huge volcano that erupted millions of years ago and has since mostly sunk beneath the sea.
Coral grew up around the sinking volcano's edges, forming the barrier reef and lagoon that surround the island today.
Amazing facts
Mount Otemanu, the island's central peak, rises about 2,385 feet straight out of the lagoon.
The lagoon is so clear that you can often see fish and coral just by looking down from a boat.
Quick facts
- Mount Otemanu, the island's central peak, rises about 2,385 feet straight out of the lagoon.
- The lagoon is so clear that you can often see fish and coral just by looking down from a boat.
- Bora Bora is part of French Polynesia, a group of islands in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean.
- Sting rays and blacktip reef sharks glide gently through the shallow lagoon waters.